# Boveda issues.



## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Hello everyone, I'm new here. I have a problem that I can't figure out & I'm hoping someone here knows the answer.

I started a tupperdor with 53 cigars in it & two Boveda 69RH's. The RH went as high as 77RH. I called Boveda C.S. & they sent me two 69RH's to add to the two I already had & a little packet to test my hygrometer. 

I went so far as to leave the tupperdor in a small locked room with the cover off it to try to remove some of the humidity from the cigars before I put all the Boveda's together. 

Anyway, after I verified my digital hygrometer was accurate I put the four 69RH's in my little tupperdor which is way more then is recommended & the RH settled in the 68-71RH range & stayed there. Eventually, I removed two Boveda's leaving two 69's in there & it remained at 69-71RH. 

This Sunday afternoon I checked it & it's reading 75RH! Now it snowed Saturday & maybe a little today which added humidity to our area but still 75RH? 

I've read many posts all over the internet about how accurate Boveda's are, etc. Frankly, I'm shocked that I'm having this problem. The way people talked about Boveda I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. 

I thought Boveda's added humidity & also removed it to keep it at the level of the pack? If it's the snow that caused the humidity to rise in my tupperdor then what good are Boveda's? 

I also read the RH is usually lower in your humidor/tupperdor then the pack states due to humidity leakage. If that's the case then why is my RH so freaking high? 

I almost went with kitty litter & at this point I'm sorry I didn't. We've got a nasty snow storm coming & after that hits I'm going out to buy me some kitty litter.


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## Auburnguy (Sep 21, 2014)

The Boveda packs can only hold so much moisture. Keep 4 in there if it works. You can't over do the Boveda packs. Maybe put the Tupperdor in a dark closet. You don't want the plastic in the sun if you can avoid it. Cool and dark is the way to go. 

Good luck and welcome.


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## Shemp75 (May 26, 2012)

remember tupperware is usually Airtight as well. the rh is just building up as it have no escape route(either cedar/cigars)

with tupperware you DO need to air out/ let it breath unlike a regular wood humi


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks for your feedback!


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## dcmain (Sep 25, 2014)

It sounds like you have a bunch of high RH cigars that need to dry out. The boveda is basically a "salt" in solution, meant to maintain a specific RH. if you have too much moisture in your cigars in a plastic container there is nowhere for this to be absorbed. Straight out of the packaging, the boveda is fully charged with water. As they contribute the water to the atmosphere in your storage container you will eventually be able to feel the granules of the salt in the bag. Since they are fresh they have no capacity to absorb excess moisture from the cigars. I would suggest adding a couple of pieces of cedar to the container. Use the sides of the boxes if you bought the stash you have in boxes, or go to your local B&M and get a box to de-construct. You need a medium to absorb excess humidity at this point, so that the Boveda can start contributing to the RH and do its job. Or you could leave the Tupperware box open in a low RH room for a couple of days (maybe more) to dry out your cigars

Just my 2C


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Thank you. I did air out my cigars in a warm room for a few days with the cover off but maybe it wasn't long enough.

Should I put the cedar inside the container "dry"? Don't wet the cedar right?

I did open the container two days ago so that should've let out some stored up moisture but if the cigars are moist just opening the container wouldn't be enough.


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## earcutter (Aug 25, 2013)

Hey Rob - I don't know where you got your cigars from, but if you had two Boveda 69RH packs in there with 50 sticks and the RH spiked up to 77... I am guessing your sticks are pretty wet. When you put in the other two Boveda packs, I am guessing they began to absorb as well, and got the RH down to 71. You probably should have left them in. 

All I am saying is - In a sealed environment such as tupperware (I am assuming it's airtight), if the only thing in there is your cigars and your hygrometer is working, then I am guessing your cigars are a bit moist. Throw the two other packs in and call it good. That and recall that +/- a couple RH's isn't a problem in the least. 

I know that the majority of the sticks I get shipped in are "wet." Generally speaking, if I throw 50 shipped sticks into one of my humi's, the RH will increase for a bit. I use wood humi's so I don't worry about it - it'll settle. Were I using airtight plastic, I would be inclined to open it for about a half hour a day until it dropped to where I wanted it.

Good luck!


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks, I put the other two 69 packs in there around 30 minutes ago so now there are 4. 

Maybe, I made a mistake by going with a tupperdor. I thought people liked them better then a humidor but if no humidity escapes which causes the RH to rise too high then it won't work.


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## earcutter (Aug 25, 2013)

rob00000 said:


> Thanks, I put the other two 69 packs in there around 30 minutes ago so now there are 4.
> 
> Maybe, I made a mistake by going with a tupperdor. I thought people liked them better then a humidor but if no humidity escapes which causes the RH to rise too high then it won't work.


Well I don't know - maybe people do like tupperdor's more than cedar humi's? I would imagine they are cheaper and generally larger. That's two things it's got going for it that's for sure!! If I recall, a few guys were placing cedar trays in them as well - that I am sure would help stabilize the RH if you are interested. I think CheapHumidors sells them.

Sure no humidity will escape on its own in a airtight container, but that's generally a good thing once things have settled down. And it will settle down even if that means keeping it slightly open for a little bit each day to allow the excess humidity out. But eventually, every now and again you'll pull out a stick and it'll get some fresh air that your humidification devices will have to work on and all will be good.

There is no "better" way - just the one that works for you. No matter which way you begin, it'll take trial and error. That's half the fun !! Just note that a little high or low for a couple of days isn't going to kill anything and that humidity rises, so the RH on the bottom of most any humidor will be lower than up top.

It's all good !!


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks, I really appreciate all this feedback & information.


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## dinoa2 (Feb 7, 2008)

sounds like problem solved but boveda says (somewhere) that the packs will keep Rh at the stated Rh of the pack if in something plastic like a tupperador and within one or 2 degrees if in a wooden humidor


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

I think the next time I get Bovedas I'll get the lower RH levels they offer. My local B&M only had 69RH & up.


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## NorCalJaybird (Sep 2, 2014)

Yeah I would toss in a couple of 65% and let them go to work in bringing the RH down a bit. I have a BOATLOAD of 65% in my footlocker and I do keep some 69% in there as well just to help add where its needed. Seems to work for me. My RH is always 64-65%..Right where I like it  I think I would add some ceder as well. NO don't wet it. Your trying to bring the RH down. Give it a place to go.


Ohhh and :welcome::welcome:


Cheers
Jay


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Well, it's been around 4 hours since I put four 69RH packs in my tupperdor & I'm already at 73RH! FOUR packs in a small tupperdor and still the RH is rising! 

How long does it take for cigars to dry out? I've been trying for a few weeks now to lower the humidity in this tupperdor & nothing seems to work. I pulled the cover off & let them sit for a couple of days & it didn't work. 

I'll try it again. I thought this tupperdor humidity thing would be a piece of cake. WRONG!

This is nuts.


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## Drez_ (Jan 30, 2014)

rob00000 said:


> Well, it's been around 4 hours since I put four 69RH packs in my tupperdor & I'm already at 73RH! FOUR packs in a small tupperdor and still the RH is rising!
> 
> How long does it take for cigars to dry out? I've been trying for a few weeks now to lower the humidity in this tupperdor & nothing seems to work. I pulled the cover off & let them sit for a couple of days & it didn't work.
> 
> ...


Calm down, for one. You're talking a week per 1% of humidity being removed from your cigars. No matter what media you use, this is not an instant process. Boveda have the tendancy to run 1-2 points higher in sealed plastic containers. Tupperware doesn't have humidity loss like wooden humidors can. It'll hold rock steady where it is supposed to hold.

As long as your temps are in a good range, you don't have anything to worry about. You just need to give it some time to let it regulate itself - and by time I mean weeks, not hours. Also, pulling the cover off and letting the cigars sit in the open isn't always a good thing. What's the humidity at in your house?

What humidity readings are you getting from the cigars alone, without the Boveda packs involved? - Snow itself shouldn't be causing any issues. Once you seal up the tupperware, providing it's a good seal, all outside humidity influences go away until you open it again. Opening it constantly will not give it time to work. Even kitty litter is going to need time to regulate and draw moisture from the cigars if they were that wet when you purchased them.


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Drez_ said:


> Calm down, for one. You're talking a week per 1% of humidity being removed from your cigars. No matter what media you use, this is not an instant process. Boveda have the tendancy to run 1-2 points higher in sealed plastic containers. Tupperware doesn't have humidity loss like wooden humidors can. It'll hold rock steady where it is supposed to hold.
> 
> As long as your temps are in a good range, you don't have anything to worry about. You just need to give it some time to let it regulate itself - and by time I mean weeks, not hours. Also, pulling the cover off and letting the cigars sit in the open isn't always a good thing. What's the humidity at in your house?
> 
> What humidity readings are you getting from the cigars alone, without the Boveda packs involved? - Snow itself shouldn't be causing any issues. Once you seal up the tupperware, providing it's a good seal, all outside humidity influences go away until you open it again. Opening it constantly will not give it time to work. Even kitty litter is going to need time to regulate and draw moisture from the cigars if they were that wet when you purchased them.


Wow! 1% a week?

My humidity in my home is probably pretty low, not sure actually.

My RH was running 68-71 steady for a week or so & I thought I had it stabilized then at around 1pm today I checked it & it ran 75. I didn't open the tupperdor so why would that happen? Do I need to open it more often to let the excess humidity escape? Could that be why it went so high?

I never thought to check what RH I'm getting from the cigars without the packs? That sounds like a really good idea. If it's high then I may have my answer there.

You said as long as my temps are in a good range I don't have anything to worry about but I don't know what you would consider a good range. 73-75 is not a good range.

I think I'll pull the packs & see what RH the cigars alone are giving me.

Thanks.


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## MDSPHOTO (Sep 10, 2013)

rob00000 said:


> Wow! 1% a week?
> 
> My humidity in my home is probably pretty low, not sure actually.
> 
> ...


As Drez said you need to R-E-L-A-X. Its always a challenge to get everything were you need it to be, but once there you will be golden. First off, your temp is too high, you need to find a dark cool place in your home where the temp is below 70 degrees. Anything over that temp combined with a high Rh can lead to beetle infestations. As mentioned tupperdors are great for storage, but they do come with some challenges. First, because they are airtight you find that the temps and Rh will always run a few points higher than a wood humidor. As mentioned every 2-3 weeks you will want to open it for a few minutes to allow a fresh air exchange. The other challenge outlined for you is that other than your cigars that are wet you have no buffer for the Rh, that is something that can take in and give off moisture. If you can get a cedar cigar box you can break it up and a lay a few pieces in the tupperdor and that will help a good bit as I have done below. Overall you should shoot for less than 70 Rh and less than 70 degrees for storage conditions with most of use preferring 65-65 or less. However you will need some patience here as Drez mentioned, in a perfect environment your cigars will only lose their exiting Rh at about 1%/week. Getting caught up in the moment by moment fluctuations will only serve to drive you crazy.


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## penna stogey (Apr 23, 2014)

I have 2 boveda 69 in a 75 Ct tupperdor and its at 63-65 RH. Where is my spot for these winter days ....Keep an eye & adjust fire. Good luck....PS


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## Auburnguy (Sep 21, 2014)

Can you post a picture of your Tupperdor? As suggested by several of us, keep your Tupperdor in a cool dark space and as constant of a temp as you can find. I put mine in the closet. If you are allowing your sticks to air out, let them air out in a cool room not a warm one. High/Warm Temperature is not your friend. I am using Boveda in a wine cooler, tool box, and a Tupperdor. Over 300 sticks are resting comfortably in the closet and no issues. You can't put too many Boveda packs in there, 4 is fine.


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks for all the feedback. 

I removed the Boveda packs over 12 hours ago just to see what RH the cigars are given off. It was reading 64RH for a while & now it's at 66RH. 

I spoke to Boveda C.S. today & they are sending me out some 65RH packs. That might do the trick as apparently my tupperdor is doing such a good job at holding in all the humidity. Going from 69 to 65 might make all the difference in the world. I wanted to buy the 65's originally but the local smoke shop only had 69RH & up. 

My tupperdor is a Rubbermaid Takealong large rectangle with 53 cigars in it. I have it in a dark place right now but moving it to my heated garage might be better. I think it's a little cooler then the main house. 

Anyway, for the time being I'll leave the Boveda packs out as the RH is perfect right now at 64-66. In a few days when I get the 65RH packs I'll try to add those. 

I do have some cedar boxes. I'll try to break one up to add to the tupperdor. 

Thanks all....


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## earcutter (Aug 25, 2013)

Weird... 

I'll say this though - Boveda has some great customer service.


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## Skeat5353 (Mar 15, 2014)

Yes, put the Spanish cedar in the container dry. It will soak up the excess moisture evaporating from your cigars. You could always just leave the cigars out for 72 hours. That will dry them out probably to the point of 55-60% RH, but that's a guesstimate. But don't worry, if too much moisture evaporates from the cigars, the Boveda packs will return them to 69% RH over time. Since you are in a winter climate right now, there is not much humidity in the air, so the cigars will dry out sooner than later. Once you have let them dry out a little, throw them back into the tupperdor and let them sit until Boveda stabilizes the environment.

Here's the tupperdor I use:





I also use an Accurite hygrometer. These are good because they measure highest and lowest humidity levels over a 24 hour period. My humidity fluctuates 5 percentage points over a 24-hour period like clockwork. Your 75 percent reading may just be the higher end of the fluctuation, with 69 percent being the lower end. While the tupperdor you see above was stabilizing, the swings were even more dramatic for me, going as high as 73 percent on the high end and 54 percent on the low end. But now the environment has stabilized and the high point is 70 percent and the low, 65 percent. The humidification device you see in the picture above is Soil Moist Polymer Crystals filled with a homemade PG solution in a little glass jar. But I've used 69% Boveda packs in that same system and it worked just fine for a whole year. Boveda packs also had the same 5 percentage point fluctuation, from 69%-71% on the high end to 63%-64% on the low end. Fluctuations are normal. A humidor/tupperdor is essentially a tiny little ecosystem subject to the same laws of change found in any other larger ecosystem in our natural environment. So just relax and don't sweat the fluctuations, as long as they are not extreme.


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## rob00000 (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks, I may just do that, leave them out to dry a little. 

I just checked them & it's reading 63F & 69RH that's with NO Boveda's in the tupperdor. NOTHING.

I have some cedar that I took from a cigar box that I will add to the tupperdor. 

I think as the RH slowly goes down & using the 65RH Bovedas that are on the way instead of the 69's hopefully I'll be OK.

I'll let you guys know what happens.


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## Skeat5353 (Mar 15, 2014)

Cool, Rob. I should add that when I started using the tupperdor, I would open it once a day and use the lid to fan out all the humidity and then seal it again (also grabbing a cigar in the process, lol). It basically resets the ecosystem. My system would re-stabilize within 24 hours with Boveda packs in the container. You can do two things right now: 1) Leave the cigars outside the tupperdor until they dry out a little, 2) Leave the cigars in there without Boveda packs and fan out the humidity once a day until RH drops to around 60%. Then throw Boveda packs back in there and in a week or two I guarantee humidity will stabilize.

PS: These are great containers for tupperdors: 7L Rectangular - Klip It Rectangular - Sistema Plastics

The plastic is BPA free, so harsh plastic chemicals will not leach into your cigars.


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## NorCalJaybird (Sep 2, 2014)

earcutter said:


> Weird...
> 
> I'll say this though - Boveda has some great customer service.


Do they ever! Some of the best in the business for sure!

Cheers
Jay


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## AlanS (Nov 8, 2014)

NorCalJaybird said:


> Do they ever! Some of the best in the business for sure!
> 
> Cheers
> Jay


Perhaps that's why heartfelt industries carries them too!


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